Hay-tester.



W. E. WITT.

HAY TESTER. I

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

1,062,678, Patented May 27, 1913.

Witnesses Inventor Q/QI Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. WITT, OF WIGHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 HARRY L. COX, 0F CEDAR VALE, KANSAS.

HAY-TESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM E. WITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Hay-Tester, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in hay testers, the primary object of the invention being the provision of an in strument adapted to be inserted into a stack or mound of hay, straw, alfalfa, clover or the like, and upon the withdrawal thereof to remove from the body of the stack a sample of the contents so that the material in the mound or stack may be tested without breaking into the same.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an instrument for testing fibrous material in stacks or mounds in which the piercing head is provided with a sample receptacle, the mouth of which is provided with cutting edges, such cutting edges being disposed to be ineffectual when the piercing head is being inserted, but which upon the withdrawal of the piercing head will cut the material and cause samples thereof to be delivered into the sample receptacle, a pivoted cover being connected to the piercing head to automatically open upon the insertion of the head and to be automatically closed upon the withdrawal thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete instrument with the sample receptacle cover open and the parts in the position they would assume when being inserted into a stack or mound. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the piercing head with the cover closed. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 41 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the piercing head of the instrument which is provided with the piercing point 2 and the tapered wall 3, the body of the head being hollowed to provide a sample receptacle 4 with the edges 5 forming a mouth for the receptacle, such edges 5 being disposed upon an incline which is slightly more than 90 to the piercing point 2 of the head. Thus upon the insertion of the piercing head, the mouth of the receptacle 4 will be in such a position as not to receive any particles of the material within the mound or stack, but by reason of the removable knives, being connected to the edges 5 upon the withdrawal of the head 1, the cutting edges 7 of such knives, the same being preferably serrated or toothed, will cut the material astride of the mouth of the receptacle, such cut portions falling into the receptacle to be removed when the head is withdrawn from the material, as will presently appear.

The wall 3 terminates in a shoulder at 8 slightly below the cutting edges of the blades 6, the purpose of which will presently appear.

Formed integral with and carrying the piercing head, is a stem or shank 9, which as shown is provided with a coupling sleeve 10 to which is adjustably connected the staff or rod 11 provided with the handle 12, whereby the instrument may be properly manipulated both in inserting the head 1 and withdrawing the same.

In order to provide a means to retain the cut samples of the material within the receptacle 4 of the head, the shank 9 is slotted, as at 13 for the reception of the reduced end 14 of the cover 15, said reduced end being pivotally connected by means of the pin 16 so that the cover 15 may be moved from the position as shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 during the insertion of the piercing head into the mound or stack, to be automatically closed upon the withdrawal thereof.

The opposite long edges 17 of the cover 15, said cover 15 being made of metal, coact with the cutting edges 7 of the blade 6 to form a shear when the cover is closed due to the withdrawal of the head 1, thus assisting in severing any uncut strands of the material that may be bridged across the cutting edges within the mouth of the receptacle 4: and at the same time crowding such cut strands into the receptacle. The extreme end 18 of the cover 15 is disposed to project beyond the end 8 of the wall 3 of the piercing head so that upon the insert-ion of the piercing head within the mound, the material will engage such projecting end 18 and thus cause the cover 15 to be thrown in open position, said cover being moved to closed position upon the withdrawal of the piercing head as before described.

To facilitate the pro-per cutting and securing of the sample after the piercing head has been projected into the mound or stack, the desired distance, the handle 12 is manipulated to impart to the head a few vibratory movements so as to permit the cutting edges of the blade 6 to properly sever any material that may be bridged or extended across the mouth of the receptacle 4, the movement of the cover 15 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 completing the final cutting of any stray strands and retaining them within the sample receptacle 4.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that a device constructed according to and embodying the present invention is especially desirable in testing mounds or stacks of hay, alfalfa, clover, straw and the like, and that a sample may be taken from any portion of the stack or mound, depending upon the length of the shaft 11, without breaking the stack or mound.

What is claimed isz 1. A sampler consisting of a head with a shank, said head having therein a recess opening rearwardly and having cutting edges at its mouth, and a pivoted cover for said recess having an outer end projecting beyond the wall thereof.

2. A sampler consisting of a head provided with a tapering front end and having at its rear end a recess opening rearwardly and forming a sample receptacle; a shank connected to said head; cutters carried by said head at the mouth of said receptacle; and a pivoted cover for said receptacle with its outer end projecting beyond the Wall thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. WITT. Witnesses G. G. NEASE, JNo. A. SUELLnN'rRor.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

